The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-08
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
now SWEARING Ez REFORMED.
True Story of a Modern Uncle Toby Convert
ed by an Honest Woman's Prayers.

True Story of n Modern Uncle Toby-ConverG
ed by an Honest Woman's Prayers.
FIom the Chicago lnter-Ocean.
The best, or rather the worst, swearer I eve
knew was an old farmer up i'll the northwest,
ern part of Pennsylvania. Profanity flowed
from his mouth as fast and fluenty as water
from an artesian well. He was swearing at or
about something from the time he awoke in
the morning until he kicked his boots under
the bed at night, and his wife declares that he
even swore i'll his sleep.
But whether that statement is correct or nots
he certainly did deserve the nickname which,
everybody called him behind his back, "Swear.
ing En-" He had the reputation all over thae
end of the State for being the most profans
man in existence People universally hated to
come into contact with him, so voluminouS
was his yileness. But profanity was his only
vice. lie was rarity, a rich man
WHO WAS GENEROUS TO A FAULT.
He didn't 90 to church, but his wife paid the
pastor OF the little brown Presbyterian church
more money every year than any other mem-
Der OF IT, And every fall, as soon as his first
grlst OF buclSwheat was ground, Swearing Ezt
would take two-bushel bag of the flour to the
parsonage and give it to the pastor with the re-
mark: "Parson, I've brought YOU some of the
- incest -four that - - ever let grow In
this ---- - country"
Old Ez was no hypocrite. He didn't pretend
to be bit better before the preacher than he
did before his plow. He was the same man
every day in the week. There was but one
thing that Swearing Ez'' considered terrible
crime, and that was drunkenness Every tina
he met man whose breath was scented with
spirits Old Ez waded into him. Imagine
man preaching temperance sermon with
blood-chtlling oath sandwiehed in between
nearly every other word 1t would be laugha~
BILE i it wasn't so shockingly wicked. And
know of more than one instance when he
wound up his temperance lecture to pooy
drunken wretch by
HANDING HIM ENCUGH MONEY
to buy pair of shoes or a hat and even suif
of clothes, and then saying: "Now, you
- lazy loafer, get fixed up and, by - -
try to make man of yourself, - you'll
We'll, that's the kind of man Swearing
Ez" was, until one winters day, not quite four
years ago, He had been drawn as Juror and
was roaming around the county seat OF Mes
ser Diocese" as somebody long ago christened
the staid old town of Mercer 1t sounds para
doxica Ito say that extremes meet but they did
that night; Swearing Ez" stumbled into the
camp OF the Salvation Army. 1t was not then
what 1t is now, there were in that particular
company or regiment, q number OF sincere.
honest, Woodworking Christians--a little
cranky, perhaps, but earnest and true worship
pers Of God.
If fthad beena regular church or an ordin
airy congregation of church-goers, old Ez would
have gone out Of there like a sheep overa stile.
But the novelty Of the thing attracted him.
lie went into the tent and sat down on one of
the rear seats.
a BIO, HogEsT-LooRINa OLD SOUL,
who caffied the cognomen of Halleluiah Anne
was speaking. Tt seemed she was widow who
had two sons killed on the battlefield. One
was Christian and died at Antietam with q
prayer on his lips. The other was an unbe-
lieyer and he died on the battle field Of Gettys.
burg, cursing with his latest breath.
The old woman was uneducated; her gram-
mar and her pbraseology were all but proper:
yet when she finished her sad story Of her only
sops the life, death and the hereafter of each.
tears were running down the cheeks of all who
heard it. She wept, but not alone. AT the far
end Of the tent were heard heavy, half
smothered sobs. There sat Swearing En-" his
strong frame shaking with emotion and tears
streaming over the hard cruel lines of his face
Presently he rose TO his feet. Slowly he adj
vanced to the kneeling form of the old woman,
whose sad tale had SO wonderously affected
him. Placing his hand on her silyered tressea
he said, in tremulous tones: "My mother, toos
had sons who went to the wars.
ONE WAS A CHRISTIAN;
/ was not. AT the battle of the Wilderness he
was wounded. We both knew he was dying and
rs / knelt beside BIN, the ground stained with
his blood ,he tried to pray. He died. Four days
later was SHOT through the arms, triiflng
wound enough, but they put me in the hospital.
How l cursed God and man for my afflictionl
Instead of thanking Him for saving my life,
cursed because l was not killed. Well, / came
home. My brothers death had killed my
mother If God will forgive me- will meet
them in heaven. Pray for me as you have
pIdJou iOL JouE oVliSI d5 MY ulOlHor has IoS
me-"
That scene will never be forgotten by those
who witnessed it. Swearing Ez" went into
that place q hardened, wicked man. He came
out penitent sinner, and from that day not an
oath has left his lips. The man who was once
despised by all is now the more honored and
respected for the hard battle he had TO fight
and bravely won. The Salvation Army saved
Swearing Ez" if 1t never before or since ac-
complished any good.
A
/ heard him relating his experience" and tits
SO different from that usually heard at Glove
feasts," "campmeetings," and "classmeet-
ings," that repetition of 1t may prove interest,"
ing and amusing as we'll 81 had great deal
Of trouble after quit swearing the old man
said. ain the first place / couldn't do any
blowing ] had to break my oxen over again.
They understood every oath and crossword
used, but when / talked decently TO them they
didn't know anything. Same with my dog.
lie couldn't even chase a chicken when or
dered him to in plain English, but If I'd swear
at him he'd tackle anything that walked.
finally had to invent lot Of slang that wasn't
wicked to fire at the dog and the oxen.
They've learned it now and we get along all
right, but IL was pretty tough shedding at first.
/ tell you"